Pet Hostel/Pet apartments?

[urbankid12]

Surly I'm not the only person trying to merge van life with being a pet owner and having a fulltime job and going outside of the minivan. Could the solution to many of us be "Pet Hostel/Pet apartments?

Imagine the following...

key fob access 24 hours a day to the establishment. Then pet parents would rent out a kennel that would have it's own unique lock (management would have a copy of key of course) Pet parents could drop off and pick up their beloved pets any time they needed! Monthly rates could be say 40-120 bucks a month? Maybe more for larger kennels that don't stack on top of each other. Additonal packages could include management cleaning kennels, feeding and walking pets if owner pays for the upgrades either one time, or upgraded package level.

The idea would let van dwellers live in a minivan or van and be able to still work a job even if its odd hours but still help to ensure their pet is comfortable and safe and secure from theft. If such a concept was possible THEN we could see about it being a chain! starting in one major metro on the western part of the nation and then expanding to be on the outside of each major metro area where there is a large van living population!

Likely there would need to be an onsite staff, so that would require a larger footprint to ensure a breakeven point.

The actual design would have to be created in a way that limited interactions with other dogs to discourage fights, ideally each cage would have two access points so two pet parents could occupy two separate lobbies that don't connect. Kennels could be designed to be more private with dividers and playing calming music to keep a relaxed atmosphere.

Wouldn't we all love this idea? Or is this a bit out there? ...it would solve A LOT of issues for me at least. "Pet Apartments of [City Name]" getting your pet on the approved list would be a process, but once people got registered they could enjoy knowing their pet was SAFE and SECURE regardless of when they worked late or if it was a hot day outside.

Could even be a first-come/rental option where visitors on the registered list could rent a kennel space by the hour/day and go grocery shopping or what when they wanted to.

Locations would have to be a bit more rural and industrial but in areas where they are well lit and safe.

What do you guys think? Would it be a good business for the van community or am I alone in my thinking that it be an awesome business idea... on par with the 24 hour key fob fitness gym with showers we all know we adore so much!

 

[maki2]

It is called "doggy day care".

 

[BelgianPup]

UrbanKid, You would never, EVER find a place that cheap. Boarding a cat in a cage cost $10/day ten years ago.

 

[urbankid12]

It is called "doggy day care".

That requires making an appointment during hours of operation and giving proper notice and then picking them up within the set time frame.

Imagine a key-fob place where you had access to 24 hours a day and could drop off and pick up your pet whenever based on your daily life. ie boss makes you stay late? no problem. Pick up your pet at 9:17 PM and not have to worry about not having access.

 

[WanderingRose]

Honestly, I would never leave my beloved dog in anything like you describe, urbankid.

It sounds like a room full of kennels with pets in them.

Leaving your dog there for an entire work shift, maybe with overtime? Not mine.

She would be traumatized after just one day.

She has been to doggy day care when she was younger, and it was well staffed, lots of outdoor time and good care.

No appointment needed, just dropped her off for a play day once a week or so.

 

[urbankid12]

UrbanKid, You would never, EVER find a place that cheap. Boarding a cat in a cage cost $10/day ten years ago.

I rent a 1 bedroom apartment for 1,000 a month with utilities. and that is 30 bucks a day in cost... and your telling me I couldn't use that same space (in a commercial setting) to rent out just 6 kennels in that big space and rent them 10 bucks a day for a 30 day month locked-in rate-making 1,800 a month? Now just scale that up 3 times.. 3,000 cost 18 kennels and 5,400 income.

That's not even taking into account that you could pack in more kennels than that AND non-retail space would be cheaper than residential space...

The cost in daycare is that your paying for the labor of the staff to care for your dog. Well in such a design your just leaving your dog in a kennel in a climate-controlled space that would normally be your home but is not because you want to live in a van and save the 1,000 in apartment rental cost that most apartments now cost these days.

When your renting out the kennel on a longer-term then the tenant (pet owner) is responsible to clean it out and care for their pet. Staff would clean the lobby and sign leases and go over policy and lease violations. Care of the pets are the owners responsibility.

Unless their was enough scale to permit 24hour staffing then perhaps upgraded packages would be an option to have your pet walked after 6 hours ie your key fob would be tracked from the scans to get into the building. Plus it would allow for better monitoring of pets to ensure safety by preventing ower negligence and neglect in extreme situations.

I don't know I thought it was a great idea.. at least it would solve a lot of issues for me at least. Working overnight means I can't use doggie daycare, plus working weekends also means no good options...

 

[urbankid12]

Honestly, I would never leave my beloved dog in anything like you describe, urbankid.

It sounds like a room full of kennels with pets in them.

Leaving your dog there for an entire work shift, maybe with overtime? Not mine.

She would be traumatized after just one day.

She has been to doggy day care when she was younger, and it was well staffed, lots of outdoor time and good care.

No appointment needed, just dropped her off for a play day once a week or so.

pet owners working full-time but only making 11-15 an hour need options that are affordable. Wish I could afford doggy day care packages for my pet on the daily workday.. not all of us have the same luxury, but at least the pet would be able to come home every night to their owner and know they are still loved. That doesn't sound that bad does it?

 

[WanderingRose]

What you are describing sounds awful, to me, urbankid. I would never daycare my dog in a kennel situation such as you describe, not for a day much less on an ongoing basis.

I understand you need care for your dog, and we’ve made some suggestions to you for work environments that might be accommodating.

Staying in traditional housing may be a better option for you than trying to live in and work out of a van with a pet.

 

[Morgana]

Actually, it does sound kinda bad, to me anyway.

Think about what the dog needs, not just about what you would like.

It's a safe bet that everyone on this forum has something for which they'd like to have a more "affordable" option. Sometimes we find 'em, sometimes we don't. But once you've taken on responsibility for another life, ensuring that that being doesn't suffer is not a "luxury."

I don't have a dog because I move too often and I think it would be unfair to the animal. Some people here manage a completely nomadic life with pets. I'm guessing that takes a lot of work and some sacrifice.

 

[WanderingRose]

Yep, I agree with Morgana.

We structure our lives around our dependents, be they human or pet of some kind.

It’s the reality of being a pet owner, and is even more challenging living in a vehicle or RV or traveling in them for extended time periods.

I don’t know what the SPCA would say about a kennel set-up such as has been proposed, but they and any applicable laws or ordinances would be another consideration.

 

[RoamerRV428]

wow jumped in to read and removed.
ok, done deal here LOL nothing to see, move on, move on

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

What is all this removed shenanigans going on?

 

[RoamerRV428]

I think UK went AWOL in some fashion

 

[abnorm]

NO time limit on EDITTING !

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Hmmm, it seems all of Urbankid's posts have been removed. This is very strange. Maybe they angered the mod gods?

 

[abnorm]

He removed them!

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

I thought we can't remove things after our 15 minute edit time? If Urbankid has been granted such power, I want some of that power too!

 

[Morgana]

Removed [additional comment not picked up by quote function; screenshot added below, you have to click on it to see the whole thing]

Well, this seems like a perfect example of why there was a limit on editing time ... and a good reminder to preserve the record by actually quoting a post, when we reply to it, instead of assuming it will still be there later and we won't be left hanging in the wind.

To state the obvious: There has been no poor shaming here. (Unless it was by the OP, who set a negative, and arguably shameful, example of how people with limited income can be expected to behave.) Personally, I continue to be amazed at the generosity and patience of this community.

 

[Freelander]

If somebody is that thinned skin then they have some real problems.

 

[Ripper238]

Mods can bring back OP posts. They are not truly gone, a time to edit is unnecessary.

Looks like the frenzy of posts were all done within the edit time frame.